Son of Santa
by imaginary-witness
Summary: Levi, a young schoolteacher, is feeling nervous about meeting his future in-laws when he visits them with his fiancé Erwin for Christmas. However, his worry of making a good first impression proves to have been true when Erwin's parents surprise their son with a holiday request of their own. (Holiday)
1. Chapter 1

Title: Son of Santa

Author: imaginary_witness

Pairings: Eruri

Ratings: T

Warnings: None

Genre: Alt. Universe, Romance, Holiday.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters in this story: living (or passed) human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

Author's Notes: Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all my readers! And, as always, happy birthday to Levi!

* * *

**Chapter 1: THURSDAY - DECEMBER 23rd**

The airport was crowded. Every terminal was crammed with families attempting to stay together and individuals rushing to make their flights. Several cancellations had already been issued, with their destinations having issues with ice and snow on the runways. The waiting areas were crammed with exhausted or frustrated travellers that were unfortunate enough to be met with delays, leaving not a single vacant seat available. The holidays had brought the same hectic feeling that they brought every year.

Levi gazed around, looking for a spot to rest. The Vancouver International airport had been decorated with artificial trees and images of Santa Clause on his sleigh, but no additional wait areas had been introduced to keep with up with the onslaught of travellers that were arriving, departing, or simply waiting anywhere they could in the airport. Levi held on to his suitcase handle, keeping it close to him to keep out of as many people's way as possible. He began to look for where his boyfriend-turned-fiancé had gone. The blonde had told Levi he was getting them some hot tea to drink while they waited for the airport reception to allow them to check in their luggage, but he hadn't returned yet. Levi stood up on his tiptoes, craning his neck to look for a glimpse of his fiancé, when the tall blonde approached him from behind, holding two paper cups of tea.

"Got them." He grinned, a proud tone in his voice. "Man, that lineup was brutal."

"We should probably get in the next one for the check in." Levi sighed.

While he wasn't in a foul mood about the holidays, Levi was nervous to celebrate them this year. For the first time, he was going to be meeting his fiancé's parents in person and spending Christmas with them at their home in Sitka, Alaska. Even though he had spoken on the phone and FaceTimed with them several times in the two years since he had started dating their son, Erwin, Levi was still afraid that they would be upset with Erwin for having chosen to date - and now marry - the smaller, middle-class, sickly man that he was.

Levi wasn't sure what exactly it was that Erwin's parents did, just that they were rather wealthy and lived far up north. He knew they owned some kind of business, which Erwin often rolled his eyes about whenever he mentioned it. The business talk often went over Levi's head, who had pursued a career in teaching. He spent his days with his grade three students, teaching them the more advanced elementary maths, sciences, and language pursuits and encouraging them to learn to be more civil and less primal human beings. Erwin, on the other hand, spent his days between his office practice or the hospital, having pursued his career as a surgeon.

They had met when Levi had collapsed one Saturday in May and was brought into the emergency by paramedics his friends had called. When Levi had woken up, the doctor that tended to him had informed him that he had suffered from a minor heart attack caused by the defected valve in his heart. Levi had been aware of his condition, but until that point, he hadn't had any indications that his condition was worsening. The doctor, keen on getting Levi immediate help, had introduced Erwin to him in hopes that the surgeon could schedule an appointment with him as soon as possible.

Levi had gone to the consult appointment which Erwin had given him the following week. By July he had had the emergency surgery to replace the valve in his heart. By August he had healed from his surgery. And by September, he had agreed to go on a date with Erwin since he was no longer considered under his care as a patient. Levi had been nervous when he had gone with Erwin to the Vancouver aquarium for their first date, having felt awkward about dating the man who had just opened up his body on an operating table and checked all his wounds just over a month ago. But Erwin had proven to be able to make it a non-issue, having been more interested in Levi's mind rather than his body.

By December, Erwin had decided to break his tradition of visiting his parents to spend Christmas with Levi in Seattle instead, having travelled with him and his friends to spend the holidays away from everything they knew as familiar. He was enchanted by the smaller man's drive to keep up with his friends, skiing The Summit at Snoqualmie at a vigorous pace despite his weak heart. As they continued to grow closer in the new year, Levi had continued to surprise Erwin, pushing himself to keep up with his students and grow his strength and stamina despite his condition. He had grown proud of the scar that ran down his sternum, showing it off in the summer months whenever they would go to Kitsilano Beach together.

They celebrated their first anniversary at the aquarium, returning to the place they had their first date exactly a year later. Levi had given Erwin a watch engraved with their anniversary date and Erwin had gotten Levi a sapphire-stoned promise ring, which had caused Levi to blush and tear up and a small group of nearby bystanders to applaud them as if they had gotten engaged.

They spent Christmas in Vancouver, preferring to stay home and away from family and friends. Levi had got to meet Erwin's parents online at that point, as they had FaceTimed Erwin to wish him a merry Christmas. He had blushed and stammered over his introduction to them, and to his relief they smiled and greeted him with warmth. Levi hoped it wasn't just because of the season that they had been kind to him, as he was the reason that their son hadn't visited them for Christmas two years in a row.

Levi himself had no family to visit for the holidays. His mother had passed away when he was child and he had never known his father. His uncle had raised him and passed away shortly after Levi had gotten his own classroom, leaving him to start spending Christmas with his friends, Furlan and Isabella, and their dates. He understood the importance of visiting family for the holiday season, especially when they were so far away, but despite his attempts to convince Erwin to spend Christmas with his parents, the blonde refused and stayed by his side. Levi was grateful that he had, but he still worried if it was something Erwin's parents held against him.

As another new year began, Levi had more opportunities to speak to Erwin's parents. They began to ask to greet him over the phone whenever they called, having gotten used to the fact that their son was either at Levi's or Levi was at Erwin's whenever they called. They FaceTimed once again for Erwin's birthday, and again for Halloween when Erwin wanted to show his parents the couples costume him and Levi had dressed up as: Levi as a doctor and Erwin as a patient.

It was the first of December when Erwin had taken Levi out to dinner at Top of Vancouver, a revolving restaurant five-hundred feet above the ground along West Hastings street. They had enjoyed a pleasant dinner of baked lobster and red wine, before Erwin had gotten to one knee beside the table and popped the question of "Will you marry me?"

Levi had gasped in surprise, having never expected Erwin to consider marriage. He smiled and nodded, too choked up for words, and held out his hand so Erwin could place the emerald engagement ring on his third finger, stacked on top of his sapphire promise ring. The restaurant had applauded them as Erwin stood up and hugged Levi, who had finally found his voice to say "Yes, I will" to Erwin's question.

They had moved in together the following weekend, with Levi giving notice to his landlord that he would have vacated his apartment before January. It was on Saturday night, when he had settled comfortably in Erwin's studio-apartment and was relaxing with him on the brown leather sofa that he had learned that Erwin hadn't informed his parents of either his decision to ask Levi to marry him or the fact that they moved in together.

To his surprise, Erwin hadn't gotten upset when Levi had expressed his panic. He had anticipated their first fight or at the very least some words being said that he would later regret, but Erwin had only held him and comforted him. The shock of becoming engaged to and moving in with Erwin, while having never met his parents, scared Levi and he finally got to admit his concerns to Erwin. The blonde had only laughed and rubbed Levi's back reassuring him that his parents would love him.

"Don't worry about it," He replied, "You'll meet them soon enough."

Christmas was not what Levi had anticipated when Erwin had told him that. When the blonde had arrived home with two brand new suitcases and plane tickets for Sitka, Levi had spent an hour in the bathroom, trying to keep from panicking. Erwin had packed their suitcases for both of them, then spent the evening reassuring Levi once again. While Levi did feel better about the situation, his nerves had begun to remind him of everything that could go wrong now that he was in the airport with Erwin, waiting to board their six-hour long flight to Alaska.

"Good idea." Erwin replied, taking his suitcase from beside Levi and leading the smaller man to the growing line for checking in for their flight. He turned to face him and kissed his forehead. "Don't worry, my parents will adore you."

Levi looked up at Erwin and raised a thin eyebrow. "Are you sure?" He asked for the umpteenth time. "I just… I know you didn't see them since we started dating and I don't want them to think I'm a bad influence on you or something. Didn't you use to visit them twice a year?"

"At least." Erwin replied with a shrug, "But I'm older now. I have my own goals and family to think about."

"Family?" Levi repeated, then blushed. "Well, yeah-"

"Well, think about it, Levi. One day, we're gonna have kids of our own. And-"

"I'm the first man you dated, Erwin." Levi reminded the blonde. "Your mother was quick to remind you of that when you introduced me to her last Christmas."

"So?" Erwin replied, then sipped his tea. Despite Levi having brought up the subject and reasons for him to worry, Erwin never got upset, annoyed, or frustrated. "Once you meet them, this will all go away." He replied, "They might not understand why I love you, but they will realize that I do love you. And that's good enough. And if that's not good enough for them, then this will most likely be the last Christmas they see me."

Levi's jaw dropped open in shock and he blinked, completely stunned. "What?" He asked, completely taken off guard by Erwin's decision.

Erwin nudged Levi so that the smaller man would walk by his side several paces up as the line moved onwards. "They can accept that they will have to see you by my side or they can choose not to see us at all. That's the deal." He stated, his voice low but definite. "I can understand their… confusion or their hesitation, if they have any, but I won't tolerate any disrespect towards my fiancé. They may be my parents, but they have no right to tell me who I can and can't love."

Levi felt warm with love and acceptance. Suddenly all of his fear had been melted away by Erwin's fire of love and protection. He moved to hug Erwin, pressing his cheek against the taller man's chest. "I love you, Erwin." He whispered, sighing in delight.

Erwin held Levi, then kissed the top of his head and smiled. "I love you too, Levi." He replied, "I'll always love you."


	2. Chapter 2

Ratings: T  
Warnings: None

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters in this story: living (or passed) human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

Author's Notes: Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all my readers! And, as always, happy birthday to Levi!

* * *

**Chapter 2: FRIDAY - DECEMBER 24th - morning**

**Christmas Eve**

Levi and Erwin had arrived in Sitka in the early evening yesterday. Erwin's father had picked them up from the airport and Levi was surprised when the man had given him a hug. He was a tall man, with round glasses and a white beard, and Levi felt smaller than usual as he walked between him and Erwin as they headed to the car.

Erwin had insisted that Levi got to sit in the front seat and Erwin's father had no objections. They drove the short distance into town, heading straight for the Smith family's home. Levi had gathered enough courage to speak to Erwin's father, Christopher, about his history with the town. Christopher had chuckled and confessed that Erwin had grown up here but left to live in Vancouver when he began his medical studies at the University of British Columbia.

"He fell in love with the city, I suppose." Christopher reasoned.

"And the people." Erwin added, reaching out to put a hand on Levi's shoulder.

Levi blushed, noticing how Christopher smiled at his son's words. "I'm glad." He had stated, reassuring Levi that he supported his relationship with his son.

Erwin's mother, Ellen, had been in the kitchen when they arrived, putting the finishing touches on dinner. She had come to the front door and embraced her son, kissing his cheeks and gazing into his eyes for a moment, glad to finally see her son after two years.

Levi stood by and waited patiently, hoping that he would be able to make a good first impression. He was surprised when Ellen turned to him and offered him a hug as well.

"Hello, Levi!" She greeted him with warmth, "How are you, my dear? How was the plane ride?"

"Oh, um," Levi replied, immediately hugging her in return. "It was… alright. Not too long."

"Six hours and some stops between, right?" She asked.

"That's the usual, unfortunately." Christopher commented, taking Levi's suitcase towards the bedroom that him and Erwin would be staying in. Erwin followed his father, taking his own suitcase, leaving Levi with Ellen.

"Yeah, it wasn't so bad." Levi continued, stepping back as Ellen released him. He gasped in surprise as Ellen reached out and grabbed his hands, taking them in her own and gazing down into his palms.

"Um?" Levi began, then looked towards the stairs where Erwin and Christopher had disappeared up.

"You have such soft hands." Ellen stated, then looked up into Levi's eyes. "What is it you do again, my child?"

"T-teach." Levi replied, putting his hands on his hips as Ellen turned around and headed into the kitchen. He took her action as a cue to follow her into the warm kitchen, noticing the amount of food she had prepared. "Oh, wow! So much food!" He commented playfully.

"Oh, thank you, Levi." She beamed, then turned the warmer off on the stove. "Give me a hand and bring these to the table, will you?" She asked.

"Sure," Levi replied, picking up a large, steaming pot. He followed her to a long dinning table prepared for four to sit at and placed the pot on the table. Then he returned and brought a warm bowl of steamed vegetables to the table as well. His stomach growled and he blushed, clearly hungry from their long day of travelling.

"So, you're a teacher." Ellen continued, "What grade?"

"Three," Levi replied in a breathy voice, almost sighing the word. He smiled, hoping he didn't sound displeased with his job. He was just rather tired.

"Ah. You must like children then?" Ellen asked, raising an eyebrow.

Levi was surprised by how skeptical the woman made the question feel just by the look she gave him. "Um, yes. I- I do."

"Mmh." She replied, then turned on heel and headed back into the kitchen, leaving Levi by the table feeling judged and rejected.

Thankfully, Erwin and Christopher had returned then, taking their places at the table. Dinner had been quiet, with Ellen choosing to ignore Levi and asking Erwin about how he had been. Christopher had attempted to ask Levi how he was feeling, picking up on the man's quiet demeanour, but Levi hid his hurt feelings behind the excuse of being tired. Exhausted had caught up with the two travellers by the time dinner had come to an end, so after cleaning up from their journey, they decided to head to bed.

"Do you think she likes me?" Levi asked Erwin, nervous about telling his fiancé about how Ellen had judged him on the topic of kids.

"Of course she likes you." Erwin reassured Levi. He held him close to his side under the sheet and kissed the top of his head. "What- Did she say anything to you, Levi?" He asked, noticing how tense Levi was.

"She… she asked me if I like kids." Levi confessed with a sigh. "But… the way she looked at me. I… I might just be reading into it."

Erwin sighed. "No. No, if you're uncomfortable, let's talk about it. Did she glare at you? Mock you?"

"No, no." Levi replied, "She just… didn't appear to believe me when I said I did."

"I think she's just… getting used to the idea that we might not have… actual grandkids." Erwin replied.

"What do you mean, 'actual grandkids?'" Levi asked, becoming the skeptical one.

"Well, you know. We can't… actually conceive." Erwin stated with a sigh. "I think she was keen on me… having a kid of my own."

"But we can." Levi protested. "We can hired a surrogate. I mean, just because it won't be mine doesn't mean it can't be yours-"

"I don't… want that, Levi." Erwin stated coolly, his voice flat and leaving no room for arguments. "If it's not with you-"

"How is that even a possibility?" Levi asked, getting frustrated by the sheer impossibility of the topic. "It has to be with someone else-"

"And I don't want that." Erwin stated. "I'm fine with just adopting."

"Are you-"

"I'm sure, Levi. I had a lot of time to consider this. I don't want to father a child if it makes us unequal. I'm a surgeon. I know the body, better than most people. A little bit of DNA won't make me love them any more or less. If it's our child, it's own child and I will be there for them and love them no matter what."

Levi inhaled sharply, awed by Erwin's dedication to his family. He threw his arms around Erwin and kissed him, conveying his appreciation to the blonde in his silent action.

Erwin held Levi and kissed him back, then cuddled next to him as they wordlessly agreed to let their conversation die in favour of sleep.

It was the gentle morning light that had woken Levi from his peaceful sleep. He recalled his conversation with Erwin from last night with a frown, enjoying his place in Erwin's arms as the blonde continued to sleep beside him. He realized that while Erwin had reassured him about their future children in their own relationship, he was still worried about Ellen's reaction to his answer.

Erwin stirred beside him, the sun rising high enough to pass over Levi and glow on his eyelids. He moaned, then kissed Levi's temple. "Good morning, babe." He greeted him.

"Morning, love." Levi replied, then turned in Erwin's arms to face him. "Slept well?"

"I could get a few more hours." Erwin teased Levi, his eyes open just enough for Levi to see a shine of blue through the fringe of his long, golden lashes. Then he closed them again.

Levi smirked. "Same." He replied. "Hey," he began, hoping he wouldn't be bothering Erwin by bringing up the same topic as he had last night.

"Mmh?" Erwin asked, raising a thick eyebrow.

"What does your mom like?" Levi asked, having thought of a plan to ensure he had her approval by the end of his visit.

Erwin opened his eyes and wore an expression of amusement. "Are you attempting to bond with her, Levi?" He asked, surprised by his fiancé's attempt to impress his parents.

"Well, I just want to make sure she and I are on the right page." Levi explained, "Maybe if I help her out, let her get to know me a little bit, she might not be so hesitant about me."

"All this because she didn't believe you, a schoolteacher, likes children?" Erwin asked, continuing to sound surprised.

"It's more than that, Erwin. She didn't speak to me at all over dinner. She just ignored me." Levi finally pulled on his words, giving in to his frustration and whining.

Erwin chuckled and kissed Levi's cheek. "She likes to bake." He stated, then swallowed softly. "And cook." He shrugged, "So I suppose if you feel really strongly about it, you could give her a hand in the kitchen?"

Levi smiled at Erwin. "I think I will." He replied, "I really want her to like me. I don't want to be the reason you can't see your parents." He explained.

Erwin made a sound of appreciation and then rolled over so he could wrap himself around the smaller man. He kissed Levi, smiling as Levi squirmed in surprise and protested the intimate action. He continued to kiss his partner, then finally relented and got up. "Uhhh," He groaned, stretching. "God, that plane ride was long."

Levi chuckled and got up, then stretched as well. "Well, it wasn't as bad as that cramped car ride to Seattle." He reminded Erwin.

Erwin chuckled, "Yeah." He agreed, "You're right."

* * *

Levi got ready for the day, glad to have a warm shower to ease his muscles. He headed downstairs dressed in a pair grey sweatpants and a dark green tshirt. He greeted Christopher, who was wearing a heavy winter jacket and snow boots. He looked as though he had just come in from outside, with the bottom of his boots and top of his red toque covered with snow.

"Erwin up?" He asked Levi, "I was hoping he could help me out in the garage."

"He's in the shower." Levi replied with a smile. "I was actually wondering if I could help Ellen with anything today. Would you need a hand?"

Christopher paused and gave Levi a sympathetic look. "Oh, Levi." He stated, "No, son. It's alright. I'll wait for Erwin. This is just… something he would know more about."

Levi raised an eyebrow, surprised by Erwin's father's judgement of him. "What… do you mean?" He asked, hoping he was simply reading into the man's words due to his own panic.

"Oh, just that Erwin's already aware of the problem." Christopher smiled and waved a hand, chuckling at the miscommunication as though he hadn't rudely judged Levi's capabilities.

"Oh. Okay." Levi replied, then motioned towards the kitchen. "I'll just, uh, have some breakfast then."

"Sure thing, Levi." Christopher replied, then watched the smaller man head towards the kitchen where his wife was.

Ellen was gathering several ingredients from the pantry when Levi entered. He greeted her with a well-rehearsed warm smile, coming to her side. "Morning, Ellen. Would you like a hand?"

His question seemed to catch her off-guard. She raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Actually, that sounds nice. I normally don't have any help in the kitchen. It would be nice to have some company."

Levi beamed, glad that his plan was working. "Alright. Put me to work. What would you need me to do?"

Ellen smiled at Levi sympathetically. "First, eat." She smiled, "I made a batch of pancakes for you and Erwin. Chrissy already had his."

"Oh," Levi replied, not sure if Ellen was just leading him on now or not. He headed to the kitchen table and found a plate with several pancakes on it. He removed one of the pancakes and added it to Erwin's plate, then sat down and began to eat. "What are you baking, Ellen?" He asked her.

"Gingerbread." Ellen replied with a bright smile. "It's Christmas Eve, so I should get some cookies ready for Santa, no?"

Levi nodded, thinking of how excited his students were for the holidays. "Yeah, sounds like a good plan." He replied, "Are you going to make people or houses?"

Ellen sighed. "I wanted to make both but I wasn't sure I would be able to on my own."

"Well, now you're not alone." Levi replied, enjoying the look of surprise on her face. "We can do both."

Ellen put a hand on her hip, then smiled at Levi with pride. "You sound like you're up for the challenge." She replied, then nodded. "Have you baked gingerbread before?" She asked.

Levi shook his head. "I've eaten it before." He joked, "But never baked it, no. No cookies of any kind. Well, no. I make a good chocolate chip, but that's not really a Christmas cookie."

Ellen frowned. Levi was confused by how seriously she took her Christmas cookies. She forced a smile on her face, then grinned at her son as Erwin entered the room.

"My baby boy," She gushed, going to give him a hug.

Levi rolled his eyes at how overbearing she was, beginning to feel as though she was purposely being difficult towards him.

"Mother," Erwin greeted her, patting her back.

Ellen took a step back and motioned to the table. "I made pancakes." She boasted, "And Levi is going to help me bake some gingerbread."

"Oh, is he?" Erwin pretended to act surprised. "That's great, mother."

"Erwin?" Christopher called, "Can you come-"

"He's just eating, Chrissy. I'll send him out in a minute." Ellen called back before Erwin could reply. She pulled a chair out, motioning for Erwin to sit down.

The blonde smiled and began to eat, watching Levi take his dishes to the sink.

"Don't wash them, dear. We can run the washer after. Let's get started." Ellen instructed him.

"Your pancakes are delicious, Ellen." Levi complimented her, "Thank you for breakfast."

"Oh, you're took kind." She waved a hand, passing off Levi's compliment.

Erwin watched with interest as Ellen set Levi to work, instructing him on how to combine the ingredients and what measures they should each be. He stayed long enough until Levi had been rolling the dough, before his father called for him again.

"Coming!" Erwin replied, then took his dirty dishes to the sink and added them to Levi's. He touched his mother's shoulder, kissed Levi's cheek, and headed off towards the garage.

It surprised him when he found himself face to face with a large red sleigh. "Dad?" He called, looking around the garage, "You wanted my-"

"Erwin!" Christopher grinned, appearing around the side of the sleigh. "Come here, my boy. It's time I showed you the old family sleigh."

"Old?" Erwin asked, raising a thick eyebrow in response to the shiny red sleigh. "Father, this is…"

"Oh, it's just an old piece of heritage." Christopher replied. "Been in the family for generations."

"I grew up here and never saw this." Erwin replied, remaining skeptical. "Ever." He emphasized.

His father laughed. "Erwin." He sighed, "I… Some things are secret for a reason. This year, you'll find out a few of them."

"A few… what?" Erwin asked, now confused and concerned. "What do you mean-"

"Listen," Christopher began, holding up a hand. "I'm really glad you came back home for Christmas this year."

Erwin fell silent, then nodded. He knew his father would be upset when he had decided to skip the two years before, so he had anticipated some kind of talking to after he arrived. "It's not Levi's fault." He began, hoping that his father wouldn't begin to associate his lack of attendance to his fiancé.

"I'm glad to hear that." Christopher stated. "And I don't blame him. He's a nice boy."

"Thank you." Erwin replied with a sigh, glad that his father didn't disapprove of Levi.

"But," Christopher began, "Are you sure he's the one, Erwin?"

Erwin's eyes narrowed and his mood darkened with defence. "What do you mean, dad?" He asked curtly, not afraid to let his father know he was approaching a dangerous topic.

"I saw the rings on his finger, Erwin." Christopher replied, "You married him without-"

"No, we're not married." Erwin cut his father off, "Not yet."

"Yet?" Christopher asked, raising his own thick eyebrows in surprise.

"I asked him to marry me, yes." Erwin replied, "And he said yes. We were going to tell you on Christmas, but I didn't ask him to take his rings off. One is a promise ring, I gave him last year. And I just engaged him on December first, so really, it's not been that long."

"Erwin," Christopher sighed. "I'm… I don't know what to say. I just… I have to ask you: are you sure he's The One?"

Erwin growled, beginning to feel frustrated. "Yes, I'm sure he's the one I want to marry, father."

"And he'll be there by your side, no matter what?"

"That's why I'm marrying him, yeah." Erwin replied, upset that his parents doubted his partner so much. "He's amazing, father. He's a great guy. He loves kids. He's always supporting me, always cheering me up when I'm down and motivating me to do stuff. Try new things, explore new places. Study when I wanted to expand my knowledge for work or go to conferences. He's my rock, dad. He's the best thing that ever happened to me and I-" Erwin paused and sighed, realizing he had gotten louder as he passionately defended his lover. "I can't imagine my life without him." He finished, becoming quiet once more.

Christopher only watched Erwin as he defended Levi, then nodded. "I see." He replied, "That's fair. I just… I wanted to make sure. I wouldn't be a good father if I didn't."

"You're a great father." Erwin stated, feeling bad that he had shouted at him. "But Levi's a great person too."

Christopher nodded. "I trust you," He replied, then nodded at the runner of the sleigh. "I want to show you this."

* * *

While Erwin had been helping his father with the antique-looking sleigh in the garage, Levi had helped Ellen create several gingerbread houses. Now he helped her ice the gingerbread men they had made, while she put in a batch of sugar cookies into the oven to bake.

"I didn't think we would be able to get this much done." Ellen began, once more gushing about how Levi had helped her with the amount of baking she had wanted to get done.

"I'm a fast learner." Levi commented, "You have to be to around children."

Ellen made a soft 'hmph' and then nodded. "I suppose so." She replied, then smiled at Levi.

Levi beamed, glad he was able to prove to her how capable he was. He had given her no reason to doubt him so far.

Erwin and Christopher entered then, both surprised by the village of gingerbread houses that their partners had created.

"Whoa-ho-ho!" Christopher laughed, "My, you two have been busy."

"We certainly have!" Levi replied in a playful voice. He came over and handed a gingerbread man to Christopher and Erwin. "Here, try one."

Christopher took the cookie and bit into it, then made a loud sound of approval. "Mmmh, this is delicious Levi!" He complimented, "It would go wonderfully paired with a tall glass of milk."

Erwin's thick eyebrows knit together and bit his lower lip. "Um, don't we normally have hot chocolate with our cookies?" He asked, confused by the change in their tradition.

"No, no. Milk will do. These cookies are sweet enough on their own." Christopher replied.

Erwin gave Levi a look that conveyed his message of 'weird.' Levi shrugged, biting into his own gingerbread man.

"We have been baking, and baking, and baking." Ellen announced, filling silence with her warm words. "All day. And yet, we still cooked dinner!" She laughed, "Isn't that amazing?"

"It is, my dear. It is!" Christopher laughed as well. "You two go and clean up. Wash your hands and sit down. Me and Erwin will bring the dinner to the table. You two have done enough."

Levi washed his hands in the sink, then took off the apron Ellen had given him to wear when they had started icing the first gingerbread house and headed to the table.

Ellen headed to the bathroom to clean up, then joined Levi, Erwin, and Christopher at the table. Everyone was silent for a moment as they all began to fill their plates and take their first bites of food. Nothing was said besides the usual polite request to 'please pass the potatoes' or 'can you hand me the serving spoon?'

"Um," Erwin began, looking to Levi and reading the same puzzled expression on Levi's face as he felt on his own. "You guys are so quiet. Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, dear." Ellen replied, staring at her plate as she intently cut her chicken breast into small pieces.

Levi watched her, then glanced back to Erwin and raised an eyebrow. He shook his head once to get Erwin's attention, silently asking him to press for more of an answer. He didn't want to sound paranoid, but the silence was beginning to scare him. He was beginning to wonder if silence was how Erwin's parents had settled on addressing their disapproval of him.

"Are you sure, mother?" Erwin asked, "Because we normally… you know, talk… at the table."

Erwin was met with more silence. Even Christoper avoided his son's eyes. Concerned, Erwin looked from his father to his mother, then back to his father, and finally to Levi. The smaller man had bowed his head and was staring at his food with tears in his eyes, shell-shocked by his future in-laws' reaction to him.

Erwin put down his fork and knife and shifted his chair a small distance back. "Seriously, what is going on?" He demanded, his voice becoming firm. "You're not going to tell that after two years you two have nothing to say to me? Nothing to ask of Levi? You both are treating him really rudely, especially after he made the effort to come here and spend Christmas with you two. Together. As a family." Erwin emphasized the word, hoping he could finally end the tension that was between his partner and his parents. "If this is the way you're going to behave, then this will be the last Christmas me and Levi will attend." He threatened.

His words finally hit a nerve. His parents looked up from their plates then, their blue eyes wide with fear.

"No, no, honey. Please don't do that-" Ellen began.

"Son, it's got nothing to do with-"

"Then what the-" Erwin stopped himself before he cursed and grit his teeth. "What is going on?" He asked, his voice heavy with frustration.

Levi watched Erwin with an expression of shock. It was one thing to be defended by his fiancé when they were told homophobic slurs by strangers in public or when people would treat him poorly on the streets, like the time someone cut in front of him at the bank. But it was downright awe-striking and slightly intimidating when Erwin sternly addressed his parents in his defence of his future-spouse. Levi found he couldn't speak, even to attempt to help Erwin calm down.

Erwin glanced at Levi, then reached across the corner of the table for the smaller man's hand.

Levi looked at Erwin's hand and for a moment he didn't move. Then he gave his head a small shake as if to wake himself from the frozen state he was in and slowly put down his knife so he could place his hand in Erwin's.

Christopher watched them, then sighed in defeat. "Alright. I'll tell you, but… this isn't what we anticipated."

Erwin raised a thick eyebrow, silently asking his father to explain.

"It's not that he's a man." Christopher began.

"It's that there's never been a man in this position before." Ellen stated, attempting to clarify what her husband was attempting to explain.

"Position?" Levi asked, finally finding his voice. He cleared his throat and pressed on, "You mean, Erwin's never dated a man before, right? I know that."

"No." Ellen stated, then smiled at Levi. "It's not about him dating you, Levi. It's about what you marrying him would mean."

"No offence, mother. But what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Erwin asked, scowling. He squeezed Levi's hand, attempting to reassure him.

From the pressure he applied, Levi was sure that Erwin was attempting to reassure himself that Levi wouldn't leave the table. Levi squeezed Erwin's hand back, reassuring his fiancé.

Ellen smiled. "Don't swear, honey. There's something your father wanted to ask of you when you came for Christmas this year and… that would mean… what we ask of you would affect Levi as well." She began to explain.

Erwin's narrowed eyes turned to face his father then. Levi looked between the three of them, stunned that it wasn't because Erwin's parents disapproved of him that they had treated him so oddly.

"Listen Erwin," Christopher began. "It's time I retire-"

Erwin made to open his mouth but Christopher held up a hand and continued.

"It's time I retire and I want you to take over the family business."

"What?!" Erwin gasped. "But I- I- I can't. I live in Vancouver, I work in Vancouver. I'm a surgeon, I'm not even qualified for the business!"

"And what does that have to do with me?" Levi asked, "I don't even know what the business is."

"Of course you don't," Ellen chuckled, "Even Erwin doesn't."

"What?" Levi asked, turning to face Erwin. "You said-"

"Doesn't matter what he said," Christoper cut Levi off, "Because whatever I told him was a lie."

"Now I'm really confused." Erwin stated, rolling his eyes and then sighing heavily.

"Remember I told you our family has a few secrets, Erwin?" Christopher asked, tilting his head in the direction of the garage, as if to remind Erwin of their earlier conversation.

"Yeah? And?" Erwin replied.

"This is one of them. The business."

"There's a reason we live out here in Alaska." Ellen cut in, "A reason we own a sleigh and your father has to take frequent business trips."

"Yeah. He owns a business." Erwin replied, as if this was the most obvious thing. "And we live in Alaska. A sleigh actually isn't that uncommon here."

Ellen and Christopher laughed while Erwin and Levi shared a look of confusion.

"Erwin," Christopher sighed, "I'm not crazy when I say this. I didn't believe my father myself when I was your age. But your mother is right. There is a reason for all of this. And that reason is… I'm Santa Claus."


	3. Chapter 3

Ratings: T  
Warnings: None

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters in this story: living (or passed) human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.

Author's Notes: Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all my readers! And, as always, happy birthday to Levi!

* * *

**Chapter 3: FRIDAY - DECEMBER 24th - Evening**

"Erwin," Christopher sighed, "I'm not crazy when I say this. I didn't believe my father myself when I was your age. But your mother is right. There is a reason for all of this. And that reason is… I'm Santa Claus."

A long silence followed in which Christopher held his breath as he waited for Erwin and Levi's reaction. The pair only waited, as if they hadn't understand what it was Christopher was trying to tell them. Finally, Levi broke the silence.

"I'm sorry but… did you just say… that the reason you live in Alaska, own a sleigh, and go on business trips… is because you're Santa Claus?"

"Yes." Christopher nodding. "I am Santa Claus."

Levi turned to Erwin with a dumbfounded expression on his face, unsure of what to say.

Erwin heaved a long, heavy sigh, biding his time to form a response as well.

"I'll be the first to say it," Levi broke the silence again, "But that is crazy. I mean, Santa Claus… doesn't exist. This is a joke, right? Everyone knows Santa Claus isn't real."

"This is what we usually are concerned about." Ellen began, waving a hand towards Levi and looking at her son. "Usually most adults don't believe in Santa anymore-"

"You don't like my fiancé because he doesn't believe in Santa Claus?" Erwin asked, unable to hide the disbelief in his voice.

"No, it's not that." Christopher began, "We would judge any partner you brought home to see if they were open to the idea of Santa."

"So this is all a way of judging him? A… a… a… bad excuse, some weird mind game, to figure out how far he would go to be with me? Is that it?" Erwin asked, then turned to face Levi. "I am so sorry, my love. I would have never brought you here if I knew my parents would treat you so-"

"No!" Ellen protested, "No, no. Honey, no." She turned to face Levi, "Honey, no. We aren't trying to sound crazy or scare you or judge you. Honestly. We are just trying to pass the family business on-"

"By pretending to be Santa Claus?!" Erwin gasped, "Seriously?! I'm beginning to become concerned with your mental health-"

"Don't be." Christopher reassured Erwin, "We are fine. Look, I'm Santa Claus. That's the family business. I didn't believe it either, but that's the truth. I have to take trips to the North Pole to make sure that the workshop is running smoothly and the reindeer are alright-"

"The North Pole?" Levi repeated, "Reindeer? Okay, I work with a group of eight-year olds and I can assure you, I know every legend of Santa Claus there is to know. But they're all children stories. Santa Claus is not real."

"You received a pair of roller skates for Christmas when you were ten." Christopher stated in a solemn voice.

Levi's mouth dropped open in an 'O' of shock. He sucked in a sharp breath, silently confirming this statement as the truth. "H- h- how- A lucky guess." He stated. "Any ten-year old boy would-"

"You received three Titan Attack video games for Christmas when you were eleven, a blue Fender electric guitar when you were twelve, and an MP3 player when you were thirteen." Christopher paused, waiting for Levi to correct him. When the smaller man didn't, he continued, "When you were fourteen, you received a hamster that you named Tiny. When you were fifteen, you received two sweaters you wanted with skeletal designs on them, and when you were sixteen you received an orchid and a box of chocolate because you wished for world peace."

Levi's cheeks turned scarlet with a blush. "How do you… know all this?"

"Because, my child, I'm Santa Claus. I know what every child got every Christmas. It comes with the job."

"Okay. This is just freaky." Levi replied.

"Listen," Christopher leaned forwards so that he was leaning towards his son. "I want you to come with me, tonight. It's Christmas eve. You can help me deliver the presents. I can show you how it all works. And then next year you can do it by yourself."

Erwin looked to his dad with concern, not at all sure that his father wasn't just aging and slowly losing his mind.

"The only thing is… we never had a man marry Santa Claus before." Ellen stated, an apologetic look on her face. "So we didn't know how to treat Levi, and we're both very sorry if it came across as rude. We were just so scared of telling you about this because… because we're not sure if Levi will be able to take the role of Mrs. Claus."

"I'm sorry, what?" Levi asked, caught off guard by the change in the topic.

"Well, it's usually a woman that bakes all the cookies and stays behind with the elves while Santa goes out." Ellen replied. "I'm not sure if you would be alright with that, Levi."

"That… that sounds pretty easy actually." Levi replied.

"And that's what worries me. Well, in part. You would probably be bored. But that's not the main issue. It's just… I'm not sure if the Christmas Magic will pass on to you, even if you did marry Erwin. I'm not sure if the tradition calls for a woman."

Levi frowned. "Are you saying… I'm not good enough to be with Erwin because I'm not a woman?" He asked, his heart sinking in his chest.

"No," Ellen replied. "I'm just saying we have never witnessed this before. And so it's a bit of an unknown as to… how it will work out." She sighed.

"Then let's try." Erwin stated with confidence.

Levi looked to his fiancé in shock, surprised by Erwin's sudden agreement to the crazy idea. "What?" He gasped.

"Let's try it. I'll go with dad on his supposed trip around the world and we'll see if it works." Erwin smirked, before adding. "If it's even real."

Christopher sighed and Ellen frowned.

"Look, I'm not saying it to be rude, but you can't honestly expect me to sit here and believe you guys. I grew up here, I know this place. I know you. You two are my parents. For you to suddenly be Santa Claus and I never knew it… what next? The Easter Bunny is my uncle and the Tooth Fairy is my grandmother?" Erwin shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable. "At least this way, I know what help I would need to look into if it turns out to be, as I suspect, untrue, and you are both just feeding each other crackpot stories."

Levi tried not to laugh, but Erwin had said exactly what was on his own mind. He feared that Erwin's parents had started to go senile up in Alaska all on their own, and that without their son visiting them, had constructed some odd kind of fantasy-reality out of missing him. He squeezed Erwin's hand to reassure him and offered him a wavering smile.

"Alright then." Christopher stood up. "We'll take the sleigh. And when we arrive in the North Pole and I prove to you that I am, in fact, Santa Claus, then you will help me take the presents out. If I'm right, you take on the job. If I'm wrong, then you get to treat me for whatever mental illness you think I suddenly developed."

Erwin stood up as well, following his father's lead. "Deal." He stated firmly.

"Erwin," Levi began, also rising to his feet. "Shouldn't we… talk about this?" He asked.

"What is there to talk about, Levi?" Erwin asked, a laugh in his voice. He appeared to be coping with the fact that his parents had progressively become mentally unstable by looking at the whole scenario with a sarcastic humour. "What home to commit them to? All this is going to prove is my parents are nuts."

Levi hesitated. He didn't want to say he believed them, but he wasn't comfortable with his fiancé placing his future on a wager that involved too many secrets and misinformation. "Well," He began.

"Don't tell me you believe them." Erwin responded, giving Levi a skeptical look.

"N-no." Levi replied, "But-"

"Then it's fine." Erwin cupped Levi's face between his hands and gazed lovingly into his silver eyes. "It's gonna be fine."

Levi nodded, accepting Erwin's reassurance and his kiss on the forehead. Then he took Erwin's hand once more and followed Erwin to the front entrance, where they put on their jackets, toques, and boots, and followed Christopher and Ellen to the garage.

Levi's jaw dropped in surprise when he saw the cherry-red, antique sleigh.

"Yeah," Erwin rolled his eyes. "I was floored when I first saw that today too."

"Do you think it even works?" Levi asked.

"Of course it does." Christopher defended his vehicle. "We just need to attach the power, that's all."

Erwin raised a thick eyebrow. "Right, the power." He rolled his seablue eyes.

"Oh, popcorn, Erwin." Christopher waved a dismissive hand at Erwin's sarcasm. "Watch."

He opened the garage doors, revealing eight reindeer that were harnessed together in four rows of two. They stood tall and proud, their antlers tall and smooth, and their fur coats all vibrant and thick.

Levi gasped, his silver eyes widening in disbelief.

Beside him, Erwin's eyes also widened. He uttered 'fuck' and took a step forward.

"Hahaha, starting to believe me now?" Christopher laughed. He took the reigns of the reindeer from Ellen and attached them to the front of the sleigh. "Everybody in." He motioned towards the sleigh. "The next stop is the North Pole."

Ellen had come to stand beside the sleigh and motioned for Levi to get in first. Erwin helped him, lifting him up and placing him in the tall sleigh, before he gave his hand for his mother to hold as she stepped into the sleigh. He entered after, moving to sit in the back, behind his mother and beside his fiancé.

Levi immediately held Erwin's hand in both his own, clearly anxious. "Erwin, he has reindeer." He murmured, feeling stupid as he was simply stating the obvious. "You're seeing them, right?" He added, hoping to feel less stupid about the level of shock he was in.

"I do." Erwin whispered, "Eight of them."

Christopher laughed as he got into the sleigh. "I laughed too when my father showed me the reindeer."

"Were they the same ones?" Levi asked, then clapped a hand over his mouth. "I mean-" He began.

"You _do_ believe him!" Erwin hissed, surprised by the fact that Levi's question meant he accepted the story Christopher gave them.

"He has _reindeer_, Erwin. Who else do you know that has _reindeer_?!" Levi defended himself.

"He could have trapped them and rigged them up. Any crazy person would do that!" Erwin reasoned.

Christopher laughed. "I can hear you, you know." He teased his son.

Ellen turned in her seat and put a hand on Erwin's knee. "Oh, son." She whispered.

"On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer, on Vixon. Now Comet, now Cupid, and Donner, and Blitzen." Christopher called, his voice booming out as the reindeer stood to attention. The front two turned to each other, then nodded and began to run.

"Did they- did they just _nod_?" Levi asked in a low, shocked voice.

Suddenly, as they reindeer began to run, the sleigh was pulled forwards. The sound of jingle bells filled the air, as the bells on the reindeers' harnesses bounced. As they gained speed, Christopher snapped the reins, pulling them so that he could direct the reindeer without hurting them. The sleigh was drawn out of the garage and down the driveway, and then upwards as Christopher tugged on the reigns.

"Whoa!" Erwin gasped, holding Levi close to him and looking over the side of the sleigh as they suddenly lost contact with the ground. Their speed didn't change and despite the lack of physical track, the sleigh slid smoothly on the air.

"Believe me now, son?" Christopher asked, leaning back to smirk at his son.

Erwin's eyes were wide and he could only grin at his father. "I… I guess I have to." He replied, looking over the edge of the sleigh and watching the town of Sitka becoming smaller and further away.

"Stay close together, the North Pole can be cold." Christopher warned them. "Blankets are under the seats."

Erwin reached under the seat and pulled out a green wool blanket, which he draped around Levi and himself. He held his lover closer, then kissed his forehead.

"Guess you're going to be the next Santa Claus." Levi whispered to him, gazing into Erwin's blue eyes with affection.

Erwin could read the fear in Levi's eyes. It was clear to the blonde in his voice that Levi wasn't sure if this would cause a divide between them. But seeing the dark-haired man sitting beside him, with a backdrop of stars behind him, reassured the blonde that Levi was his personal angel.

"Not without you by my side." He whispered to reassure the smaller man, then kissed his cheek.

Ellen smiled, watching his son hold his lover. She hoped that the magic would pass, for her son's sake at least. "He has to take on my role." She whispered to herself, "Even if there has never been another Mr. Claus."

Christopher glanced to his wife, then reached out and took her hand in one of his. He gave her an encouraging smile when she lifted her gaze to meet his.

The winds grew colder and soon snow began to swirl around them. Their breath turned to fog and the occasional blur of lights far down below that indicated another city or town disappeared for good. They sailed through the air to the jingling of the silver bells for a comfortable amount of time, before the sleigh began a slow descend. In the distance, a strip of dark pavement was marked by the glow of yellow candles and a small house was illuminated, with smoke curling upwards towards them from the chimney. It made the air smell of burning firewood and cinnamon.

"How-" Erwin began.

"Who could have-" Levi wondered aloud.

"The elves, of course." Ellen replied. "Oh, don't worry. They aren't those cartoon ones with the big ears and stripped pants." She laughed, noticing Levi's eyes widen with horror.

"Those ones scare me." He confessed, "They look like little clowns."

Erwin chuckled. "Oh my gosh, same!" He explained.

Christopher chuckled. "Oh you boys." He mumbled, then added "Hold on. Touch down!"

As if on cue, the sleigh made a small bump as it made contact with the ground. They slid several meters down the runway before the sleigh came to a complete stop, with the reindeer standing in place to keep from moving the sleigh anymore.

"Holy shit." Erwin mumble, "I can't believe any of this. I'm high. Out of my mind."

Levi chuckled, surprised by Erwin's response.

Christopher hopped out of the sleigh, going to the reindeers closest to him and detaching them from the sleigh. He then turned and knelt down, hugging a small, lithe being that had pale blue skin and long limbs, which were bare despite the cold. The being wore a simple pair of brown boots and a white toga, with fur across his shoulder. He had shoulder-length navy hair and almond-shaped sky-blue eyes.

Christopher turned to face his wife, son, and future son-in-law as they had climbed out of the sleigh. Erwin held Levi close to himself as the smaller man began to shiver from the cold.

"This is Torry," Christopher introduced them. "He always comes to meet me here. He operates the runway."

"Pleased to meet you." Torry bowed at the waist, then stood to his full height at four-feet exactly. His voice was a smooth low tone.

"Pleasure."

"Likewise."

Levi and Erwin nodded, then offered the elf a small bow back.

Torry chuckled, then nudged Christopher. "You never bowed to me when we met." He teased the man.

"I didn't, no." He recalled, then smirked. "Now then, Torry. Where is- Ah, there she comes now."

Walking towards them from the house was a being similar to Torry. Lilac in colour, with violet hair and eyes, and wearing grey boots and a silver toga with white fur, a female elf approached them. "Hello," She greeted them, curtseying to them. Her voice was higher than Torry, but still resembled a mature tone. She was also four feet tall but her violet hair was to her slim waist.

Levi and Erwin bowed to her in response and she blushed a faint pink. "Ahaha," She chuckled, "Thank you. I'm Lidiah." She introduced herself. "And yes, we only come in two colours."

Levi and Erwin chuckled softly, finding the elves surprisingly easy to get along with.

"It's not true that Santa lives up here." Christopher explained. "I do make several trips here throughout the year, though that's never been too much for me. The elves don't feel the cold, so they live here. The house is really here for us during Christmas, as Ellen - or whichever Mrs. Claus would accompany Santa here on Christmas - would stay here and ensure all is handled here."

"We hope that can be you, Levi." Ellen reassured him, reaching out to touch his hand.

Lidiah opened the house's front door and let the small family in. They immediately were in a warm family room with a large fireplace and large, comfortable sofas with fur-covered pillows. There was a roaring fire in the fireplace and a fur rug on the floor before it.

"This is nice." Levi commented, stepping inside.

"Don't take your boots off," Lidiah warned them, "It's too cold here for you. Mrs. C usually gets slippers, but it's fine since Erwin will leave soon."

"What about me?" Levi asked, "I'm staying."

Lidiah stopped and her face fell into a look of surprise. "You're not… you're not going with them?" She asked, then swallowed nervously.

"He's Erwin's partner." Ellen explained in a gentle voice. "Wouldn't that mean he's stays with me?"

Lidiah gasped and then took a step back. "Oh, I'm- I'm not sure it works like that." She confessed.

"Would Torry know?" Christopher asked.

"I'm not sure." Lidiah replied. "Maybe Murph? He's the oldest."

"Do you even age?" Levi asked, surprised by the strange creature. He thought they resembled more of a nymph or a fairy than an elf, but he supposed a supposedly-mythical creature had the right to identify as whatever it wanted to.

Lidiah smiled at him sympathetically. "No." She replied, her voice playful.

Before Levi could ask any more questions, Christopher held up a hand and sighed. "Where's Murph then? Because Erwin and I need to get ready to head out and I'm not sure if Levi should come with us or not."

"I'm here." A low voice responded. Another four-foot tall elf stepped towards them, coming out from the room adjacent to the family room. "Murph, at your service." He introduced himself, bowing at the waist to the new arrivals. He had silver eyes and navy hair, parted on the left and cut to just below his chin.

Erwin and Levi once more bowed to the elf, who smiled in return. "I like them already." He joked, his voice a smooth, rich warmth.

"Nice to meet you," Erwin responded.

Beside him, Levi said nothing. He only smiled, then looked to Christopher.

"Like them as you might, how do we approach this unique situation?" Christopher asked.

Levi shivered, his teeth beginning to chatter. He tried to hide it, gritting them together.

"I suppose he… would go with you." Murph replied, "He can see us, so he is accepted."

"Oh?" Ellen exclaimed. "I didn't know that was a thing!"

"Neither did I." Christopher and Lidiah both agreed.

"It's true." Murph replied, "That's how I met the first Santa Claus, he was the first to be able to see us."

"So regular humans can't?" Christopher asked.

"Nope." Murph replied, then shook his bangs out of his eyes. "I passed many without being seen."

"Well, then… he will come with Erwin and-"

A violent shiver escaped Levi's control at that point, partly because he was shocked by his supposed acceptance by whatever it was that accepted him.

Erwin turned to face Levi, rubbing his hands along Levi's arms. He realized Levi was cold, the smaller man's lower lip a pale blue, and he took him towards the fire to keep him warm.

"What's wrong, Erwin?" Christopher asked, immediately concerned when he saw the worry on his son's face.

"He's freezing. Baby, you're freezing." Erwin turned his attention to his fiancé, rubbing his hands between his own. He watched Levi try to speak, but his shivering body seemed to have a difficult time forming words. Erwin turned to his father, his blue eyes full of panic. "He can't go out like this. He'll freeze out there."

"N-n-n-nu-no." Levi attempted to protest.

"No," Erwin stated, turning his attention back to his fiancé. "You're staying here, next to the fire until I come back. You'll only give yourself a heart attack if you go out there. It's too cold for you."

Christopher approached them, his eyes full of concern. "Erwin, I'm not sure he can stay." He began.

"He has a weak heart, damnit!" Erwin rose his voice, then turned to his father with fear in his eyes. "And I won't lose him because I forced his heart to overwork itself attempting to keep him warm."

Christopher froze in place, then sighed. "Oh." He exclaimed, saddened by this news.

Ellen came to sit beside Levi, throwing an arm around him and rubbing his shoulders. "Oh, the poor dear." She began, "I'll watch over him, Erwin." She promised her son, looking up at him with sincerity in her blue eyes.

Murph approached them, handing Levi a cup of hot chocolate. "Please, drink. It will warm you up, I promise."

Levi took the cup with shaking hands only to have Erwin wrap his hands around Levi's, helping him keep the cup steady so he wouldn't spill any of the hot liquid on himself. He guided the cup to Levi's lips, then sighed in relief as Levi sighed at the warmth of the drink. Some colour returned to his lips and his eyes sparkled with gratitude.

"Th-thank y-ou, M-Murph." Levi managed to speak, his shivers slowly easing as he was hugged by his family and warmed by the drink and the fire.

"He can stay here with me and Mrs. Claus." Murph nodded at Erwin, then touched Levi's shoulder. "We'll keep him warm for you."

Erwin nodded, then got to his knees before Levi. He hugged his fiancé, pressing his ear against Levi's chest to listen to his heartbeat.

"Thank you," He murmured to Murph and his mother, closing his eyes to focus on his lover's beating heart. While it pumped faster than usual, the frantic organ's la-dub rhythm had calmed down from where it was when it was fighting the cold to pulse blood throughout the shrunken veins and arteries. The sound reassured Erwin immensely.

Levi blushed and then placed his hand on the top of Erwin's golden head, their own unique way of exchanging a reassurance in each other.

Erwin pulled away to gaze into Levi's eyes, then kissed him. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He whispered.

"Deliver those presents, babe." Levi whispered in return.

Erwin smiled, then stood up and turned to his father. "Alright, father. Let's go."

"Not so fast." Lidiah smirked, teasing them. "You haven't gotten your suit yet."

"Suit?" Erwin asked, then his eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest. "No, no. Red it so not my colour."

"Babe," Levi whined. "Red looks great on you. Put on the suit."

"It's tradition, Erwin." Christopher reminded him.

"Put on the suit, honey. It'll look so good on you."

Erwin sighed. "How come dad isn't-"

Christopher took off his long coat to reveal he was indeed wearing a velvet red suit with white wool trim.

Erwin frowned. "Great." He mumbled, then turned to Lidiah. "Alright, give me the suit."

The elf handed Erwin a black garment bag with a sweet smile and directed him to the bathroom.

As Erwin changed into the outfit, Ellen turned to Murph. "Do you think the power of Mrs. Claus will transfer to him?" She asked, patting Levi's shoulder.

Murph frowned. "I'm not sure," He answered with sincerity in his voice. "I hope for Erwin's sake he can. It's not like the inverse hasn't happened."

"Inverse?" Levi asked.

"Yeah. That's why it's the Smith family and not the Claus family." Christopher replied.

"A long time ago now, Mr. and Mrs. Claus only had a daughter." Murph explained. "She married Mr. Smith. And they had a son ever since. But that was the one time that Santa Claus was passed to the child's spouse, and not the power of Mrs. Claus. So… I don't see why it wouldn't work this time around."

Levi smiled, feeling reassured by the story of one of the Santa's daughter. "Thanks Murph." He replied, "That… that is reassuring."

"We won't know until after tonight." Christopher mumbled, worry in his voice.

Levi opened his mouth to ask what Christopher meant, but Erwin reemerged from the bathroom at that point and stole his attention.

Clad in crimson velvet and trimmed with white fur, Erwin made a young, handsome Santa.

Levi's hands flew to his mouth, his eyes full of affection and pride. "Erwin, baby!" He got up and raced towards his lover, throwing himself into Erwin's arms. "You look so handsome, baby!" He gushed.

Erwin chuckled, immediately feeling better about the suit. "I was so scared I'd just sprout a beard." He admitted, then glanced at his father, who only raised an eyebrow at his son.

He stroked his own beard to emphasize his disagreement.

Erwin gave his father a sheepish smile and murmured a "Sorry dad."

Levi chuckled and ran his fingertips along Erwin's shaved chin. "I'm glad you didn't." He whispered, "I was scared of that too."

Christopher rolled his eyes, playfully teasing his son.

Levi kissed Erwin, his left leg bending back as he let the kiss overwhelm him. Ellen made a soft sound of warmth, moved by their affection. She was glad her son found someone who was unconditionally in love with him.

Erwin hugged Levi close and then led him back to the fire. "Stay close to the hearth." He instructed Levi. "I'll be back soon and I want you to stay warm."

Levi nodded, then slowly but reluctantly released Erwin and sat back down in front of the fireplace. It was notably warmer here than across the room and he hugged his arms around his knees, curling around himself and biting his lower lip to keep from speaking, knowing he would only delay his fiancé from leaving if he did.

Erwin turned to his father and sighed, fixing his crimson sleeve. "Alright. All suited up. Let's go."

"I love you, Erwin." Levi called out, unable to hold himself back from reminding Erwin about his affection.

Erwin chuckled and blew Levi a kiss. "I love you too, baby." He replied.

Christopher smiled, then copied his son and blew a kiss at his wife before he turned around and led Erwin back outside and to the sleigh.

The sleigh had been turned around, the reindeer fed and re-harnessed to the sleigh, and a large red sack filled with presents was in the backseat.

"Whoa," Erwin gasped, noticing how tall the tower of presents was as he approached the large sleigh.

"A lot, isn't it?" Christopher commented. "It's tough to get through them all in one night. That's why I'll take you out the first time."

Erwin nodded and made to get into the sleigh. "Do I get to drive?" He asked, reaching out for the reigns.

Christopher laughed. "Of course you do." He replied, "How else are you going to learn? Although, it is something you already know. Christmas magic and all." He winked at Erwin, settling in beside him.

Erwin looked to the reindeer, then shook the reigns and frowned. "They aren't going." He complained.

Christopher laughed. "You have to say the words, Erwin." He chided his son, "Come now, I know you know them. You just feel silly."

"I can't help it." Erwin replied, blushing.

"Well, hurry up and say it. We're getting buried in snow here." Christopher teased his son.

"On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer, on Vixon. Now Comet, now Cupid, and Donner, and Blitzen." Erwin chanted, then gave the reigns a small tug.

The reindeer nodded to each other, then took off down long runway. They galloped down the long path, picking up speed before they began to ascend, climbing skywards on nothing but the air.

Erwin began to laugh, nervously as first, and then more and more with glee. "Look, father! I'm doing it!"

"You are!" Christopher proudly patted Erwin's back. "I knew you could, son!"

Erwin bit his lower lip, feeling warm from making his father proud.

"To the west first, Erwin, son." Christopher directed, "We have to cross the Atlantic since they have Christmas first and so we head there first."

Erwin nodded, listening intently to his father. The reindeer appeared to know the route, taking the sleigh and all its presents towards the eastern hemisphere.

At their first stop, Christopher held a hand up to stop Erwin. "Now, the first Santa Claus went down the chimney. But he lived in a world where chimneys were something you could go down and every home had one. Now, we live in a slightly different world."

Erwin's thick eyebrows pinched together. "Um, but… why are we on a roof then?" He asked, confused.

"Because the magic works on the roof." Christopher chuckles, "Now, we don't exactly get out of the sleigh. We are racing time as it is."

"That's not on our side?" Erwin asked, surprised.

"Only for so long." Christopher replied. "It can't hold until we're done. We aren't on our own time here, Erwin."

Erwin nodded. He listened intently as his father taught him how to delivery the presents from the rooftop, letting the magic carry them from his hands to where the children would find them in the morning. Each building was its own stop. Each present was personally delivered. Erwin learned fast how to channel the energy in his heart out of his hands and guide the gifts towards their destined child.

From town to city, and city to country, Erwin and his father flew, giving gifts to all the world's children. They chased the moon, following the cover of darkness as they raced the sun rise. From summer to winter, desserts to snowy villages, east to west, Erwin and Christopher visited them all in the span of a nighttime.

"Last on our list is Sitka, Erwin." Christopher smiled at him.

"Ah," Erwin sighed, then laughed. "That's why we live there, isn't it?" He asked, finally understanding the reason behind the location.

Christopher only smiled. "I told you there was a reason for everything." He replied.

Erwin shook his head, guiding the reindeer down to his familiar home town. The small town took them a short amount of time to gift. Erwin looked into the back of the sleigh and grinned at the empty sack. "I can't wait to get back to Levi." He mumbled, thinking of his lover and hoping he was warm by the fire.

Levi was feeling better as he sat by the fire. Murph had several elves help him move the sofa closer for Levi and Ellen. Ellen had fallen asleep on her side while Levi sat and drank his fourth cup of hot chocolate, glad to speak with Murph and a few of the elves. He learnt much about their species, understanding they preferred sugary foods and had accidentally caused the rumour that Santa liked cookies.

"Really, he'd bring them for us." Murph laughed, "So a lot of humans thought he ate them himself."

Levi chuckled. "That's hilarious, but totally true."

Murph sighed and leaned back against the couch, having sat on the floor in front of the fireplace.

"You know, this might sound weird, but it's nice to have a guy shorter than me." Levi mumbled, blushing.

Murph laughed. "It's a mutual feeling." He replied, "You're the first to arrive in a long time that isn't close to two meters."

"Really?!" Levi asked.

Murph coughed, nodded, and cleared his throat. "Y-eah." He confirmed, then coughed again.

"Are you alright?" Levi asked, sitting up from having lain down on his side.

Murph's eyes widened and coughed some more.

The noise woke up Ellen and she looked to Levi. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"I don't know." Levi replied, beginning to panic. He wished Erwin would return; as a surgeon he would be able to figure out what was wrong. "He didn't eat anything."

Suddenly Lidiah coughed as well. Then Samur, Kelip, and Trae. Levi looked to each of them, trying to read their lithe bodies. He noticed their paled skin and their dull eyes. They moved slower, as if their bodies were to weak to move.

"Something wrong with the gifts." Levi determined, standing up and heading to the window. He could hear the jingle of the reindeer's silver bells, then saw the parallel flash of the sleigh's runners as the sleigh slowly descended along the runway.

"What?" Ellen asked. "How do you-"

Levi turned and headed to the door, rushing out to meet Erwin.

Without Torry, the reindeers were confused and had difficult landing the sleigh, relying on Erwin's guidance. He tugged on the reigns, pulling them to guide the animals towards the ground gently. He could sense from their distress and Torry's absence that something was wrong. He immediately worried about Levi, wondering if he was hurt. Then he saw him rushing out of the house towards the runway and he panicked. He leapt out of the sleigh and ran to Levi, grabbing his lover and hugging him close.

"Are you crazy?!" He asked, "You're going to freeze out here!"

"Something's wrong!" Levi responded, shaking his head. "The elves are sick. All of them. They're paled and weak, Erwin!"

Christopher frowned, having followed his son and heard Levi's words. "Where's Ellen? She should know what's wrong." He instructed.

"She doesn't know." Levi shook his head. "I think… I think you missed someone."

"What?" Erwin's eyebrows pinched together and frowned.

"I think… I feel like you missed someone, Erwin. You missed a child. And it's causing people to stop believing in Santa. So the elves… they're dying."

Christopher opened his mouth but said nothing.

Erwin only blinked.

Levi frowned, then broke out of Erwin's hold to rush towards the sleigh. He climbed into it with some difficulty, the tall sleigh clearly made with taller men in mind. He threw himself over the front seat, looking through the large red sack with determination. He couldn't explain why he was searching it, just that he felt there was a gift there that hadn't been delivered.

"Here!" He shouted, his hands closing around the corner of a smooth box. "You missed one!" He huffed, pulling himself up and showing Erwin the small blue box.

Erwin approached and took the box, turning it over in his hands. "To Jeremy." He whispered, reading the tag. "This is for a boy in England."

"We won't make it in time." Christopher frowned, "There's no way we can travel that far in time."

"We have to try." Erwin stated firmly, tightening his hold on the gift. "I have to try."

"We won't make it." Christopher frowned, "I've done this for years, Erwin. The sun will be up by now in England."

"He can't wake up to no gifts." Erwin frowned.

"The elves." Levi pouted, "Erwin, the elves… I don't know how but… they need this too."

Erwin bit his lower lip, then closed his eyes. He planted his feet into the snow and drew his conscious inwards. He recalled the happiness he felt receiving gifts on Christmas morning, the memories flashing before his eyes. He was barely aware that he had tapped into the joy of Christmas, the innocent feeling of pure love and happiness, and with that feeling came the magic of Christmas.

The gift shook in his hand, becoming charged with the Christmas spirit, then it suddenly shot upwards, ascending into the sky as a shooting star before it flew off to the east.

Erwin stood still with his eyes closed, his energy remaining connected to the gift, guiding it to its destination. As the present made its way under Jeremy's tree, Erwin gasped, blinked, and stepped back dazed. He grabbed onto the side of the sleigh to steady himself, then turned and vomited onto the snow.

"Erwin!" Levi jumped out of the sleigh and wrapped Erwin's arm around his shoulders, supporting his lover.

Christopher came to Erwin's side as well, taking a hold of his son and helping carry him back into the house.

Murph and the other elves had slowly risen to their feet, feeling better once the last gift was delivered. They turned to face the door as Levi, Erwin, and Christopher entered the house.

"What happened?" Ellen asked, moving out of the way for Christopher to guide their son to the couch.

"We forgot a present." Christopher confessed.

"What?!"

"How can that be?!"

"Christmas is ruined!"

The elves all began to panic.

"It's alright." Levi replied, "Erwin still… sent it off."

"From here?" Murph asked, his powder-blue face scrunched up in confusion.

"Yes." Christopher replied. "He just… he charged it with his magic and sent it off. At great expense to his magic."

Erwin smiled at his father, breathing shallowly. "I'm fine." He mumbled.

Levi pushed Erwin's blonde bangs off his face and kissed his cheeks. "You saved Christmas." He whispered to his fiancé.

Erwin chuckled weakly, then held Levi's hand. "But… I couldn't… have done it without you, Levi." He replied, "You found the gift."

"Levi found it?!" Murph asked.

"Levi?!" Lidiah repeated.

Erwin sat up and pulled Levi into his lap. "Yeah," He kissed Levi's cheek. "He knew exactly where to find it."

Ellen looked to Christopher, her hand flying to her mouth. "I had no idea." She confessed.

"Because the power left you." Murph stated, taking Levi's hand. "It's with him. It's with Levi now. He's the new… Mr. Claus."

Levi gasped, surprised by the fact that the magic had transferred to him. "I'm- I'm- I'm able to-"

Erwin grinned and kissed Levi's neck, then buried his head against Levi's heart, listening to his favourite sound in the world.

"Welcome to the family, Levi." Christopher smiled at him, holding his wife close to his side.

"But I don't understand," Levi began, "If I have Mrs. Claus' magic, how come I don't understand why the elves started to become weak when the present wasn't delivered."

"Because that's how we survive." Murph explained. "That's why the first Santa started this tradition. Unlike humans, we rely on belief. When no one believes in us, we disappear. And because children are so much more open to us, we reward them for keeping us… around."

"So the first Santa Claus," Erwin attempted to piece together the story, "He was able to see you even though he was an adult."

"Yes," Murph confirmed, "But there was few who believed in us, so there was little of us and we were weak. He decided to help us by creating the legend of Santa Claus and giving gifts out as a reward for believing in us."

"And we get to carry on that legend." Erwin smiled, proud of his ancestors. "That's amazing."

"It's remarkable." Levi agreed.

"Levi believed right away." Christopher interjected. "Even when my own son did not. He believed since the reindeer. Before that even. When he warned Erwin not to make such a wager against me."

Murph gave Erwin a puzzled look. "He believed before you?"

Erwin nodded.

"And he's your age?"

"A few years younger. Not much."

"So he's an adult?"

"Yes."

"And he could see me right away." Lidiah added.

"He's special then." Murph replied, "I have no other way to explain that."

"Christmas magic?" Levi shrugged.

A moment of silence descended on the small family and the elves. They gathered together in front of the fire, drinking hot chocolate and feeling the joy of the season. For a time no one said anything and the silence was only broken by the crackling of the large fire. Then Erwin broke the silence.

"Happy birthday, baby." Erwin mumbled, kissing Levi's cheek.

"Thank you." Levi blushed, cuddling close to Erwin. "And Merry Christmas, my love."

Christopher, Ellen, and the elves' eyes all widened with surprise. Then Christoper smiled, "It's not wonder you have the spirit of Christmas." He chuckled, "Merry Christmas, Levi. And happy birthday."

\- The End -


End file.
